By Ernestine Walls Benedict
Director, Online Communications – Reading Is Fundamental

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), America’s oldest and largest children’s literacy non-profit, is betting on broadband to help expand the reach and impact of its mission. RIF motivates children to embrace reading as a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. Through a national, grassroots network of thousands of volunteers at 20,000 RIF program sites, 4.6 million children are provided with 16 million free books annually. While these numbers are impressive, there are countless children in underserved communities that we aim to reach.

As broadband continues to penetrate learning environments across the country, particularly in low-income urban and rural communities, RIF is able to cost-effectively extend its reach to children, teachers, parents, and volunteers by providing meaningful and immersive literacy experiences online. RIF is leveraging this richer experience across a greater number of initiatives to take full advantage of the power of broadband.

RIF recently launched a new website, LeadingtoReading.org, to help get young children (birth - age five) excited about reading and deliver important information to the caregivers who are building their literacy skills. The site is available in English and Spanish and features interactive stories, songs, games and more. This multicultural literacy resource is an invaluable tool for encouraging children, at an early age, to become lifelong readers. RIF also has begun working to develop an online literacy training and technical assistance program for its large network of volunteers nationwide.

RIF’s highest priority is delivering books and literacy resources to children who need them most. Broadband technology is not only a powerful medium, but also a catalyst for innovation that we welcome in our efforts to help children discover the joy of reading.